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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A two-seat hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft dubbed a “heavy drone” in France is set to begin flight testing in the United States, the executive behind the project said Tuesday.
“We are planning to start flight tests of the JP1 in April,” Théo Parant, CEO and co-founder of DTA Americas, said in an interview.
The company was established in Arizona this year as a subsidiary of DTA France, which has been building ultralight aircraft, including gyroplanes and trikes, since 1990.
Parant said the JP1 was registered as a drone in France because of government regulations. “In fact, it was the heaviest drone in the country,” he quipped.
Although the JP1 has already logged 200 hours of flight testing in France, the company will begin the process anew in the U.S. because of a “different administrative path” toward certification, Parant said.
The aircraft is on display at NBAA-BACE, the business aviation industry’s largest convention, which opened Tuesday.
“We’ve brought a real aircraft that can fly,” Parant said as visitors stopped to take photos. “Not a startup with a mockup” is the company’s slogan, printed on its brochure.
The company says the JP1 can fly for two hours at full payload. It has a range of 180 miles with two people on board and up to 235 miles with one occupant. Other features include an airframe parachute, a hybrid powertrain and an autopilot.
DTA is targeting private pilots who could use the aircraft for recreation or as a “modern-day two-seat helicopter,” Parant said.
“I am not very happy with the term ‘flying helicopter,’ but in a way that is what this aircraft will be used for,” he said.
The JP1 will be a new entrant in the U.S. eVTOL market, but Parant stressed that DTA is not “starting from scratch.”
He said the company has decades of aviation experience, with nearly 600 aircraft deployed worldwide. DTA France continues to maintain those aircraft and provide after-sales support, he said.
The company is taking orders for the JP1 with a $12,000 deposit, of which $10,000 is refundable. The launch edition is expected to be available in 2028 at $385,000, DTA said.
DUBAI – Deals worth $54.5 billion were reached at the latest edition of the Dubai Airshow, which closed on Thursday, the event’s organizers said.
De Havilland Canada, which returned to the show after many years, won a number of orders for its Dash 8-400 aircraft from companies in the UAE, Russia and Nigeria.
Airservices Australia selected Searidge’s digital tower solution for an initial prototype at Sydney Airport.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Airbus has teamed up with 12 Airbus Corporate Jet operators worldwide to make VIP travel smooth.
All images are courtesy of Airbus Corporate Jets.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Swiss aircraft maker Pilatus has unveiled its new single-engine turboprop – the PC-12 NGX – at the National Business Aviation Association’s Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Sustainability is the main focus of this week’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas.
Bombardier
Bombardier’s 1,000th Challenger 600 series aircraft is set to enter into service this year …and that airplane will be the first Challenger 650, built for private aviation leader 
Earlier in the day, 
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